Curtain wall assemblies are utilized on the outer covering or surface of the building and provide glass assemblies and frames which form the outer barrier for a building construction. Curtain wall systems have a plurality of horizontal and vertical members which may receive glass panes therein. The curtain wall assemblies typically are not load bearing structures but instead only carry the weight of the glass and the frame itself. The curtain wall transfers wind loading on the building through the floors and columns of the building and also resists air, rain or other weather elements entry into the building.
While it is known to utilize lighting systems on the exterior of a building, known lighting systems add visual clutter in that they typically require fixtures exteriorly mounted thereby reducing visual clarity of the building façade. Additionally, these structures provide wind resistance which must be compensated for in certain constructions. Finally, the exterior light fixtures also provide a source of water and air leakage into the building and generally require maintenance for these problems during the life of the fixture and/or the building.
Given the foregoing deficiencies, it would be appreciated that a lighting system is desirable which may be integrated into building structure and therefore does not add to the problems previously described.